Android Ana Maico 2010

Matsuan’s radio show is in trouble for one reason: nobody listens to it! Not to mention his completely incompetent staff, from Suga, the washed-up scriptwriter, to Densuke, his useless AD. But the company has brought him a savior: the cute android Maico, programmed to deliver the perfect radio show. A perfect radio show can only be delivered by the perfect person, however, and Maico has her share of technical difficulties!

Robot anime has become quite a popular genre. Super-cute female androids seem to be doing anything and everything, from saving the world to falling in love (often both at the same time). But there is only one anime in which you will find a robotic radio personality, and for such originality, Android Ana Maico 2010 gets props.

The opening theme song of Maico is immediately striking for one reason: it has no actual lyrics. Sung by Tange Sakura, who also adeptly voices Maico-chan, it consists entirely of “do re mi fa so la ti do.” It’s cute and catchy and perfectly captures the mood of at least the first half of the series. The ending theme is more conventional, but it’s nevertheless quite cute. Tange’s voice is perfect for the super-cute and naïve Maico. The rest of the cast doesn’t do quite as remarkable job, but they are nevertheless quite proficient in playing their characters.

As stereotypical and even irritating as they may seem at first, the characters are surprisingly developed by the end of the series. They all have their demons, ranging from the remarkably mundane issues that most people face to the truly painful. They’re drawn in a manner that suggests realism as well: the human characters all have brown or black hair, and only one or two are remotely attractive. Maico is the only stereotypically cute one with Technicolor® hair, a quality that serves to underscore her artificiality.

There is no true plot, since Android Ana Maico 2010 is almost purely character-driven. However, it takes a few episodes for it to gain some momentum. There’s a fair amount of filler as well – although it does have to do with running a radio show, most of it feels silly and unnecessary. However, it eventually sheds the silliness and starts to examine the characters, building up to a powerful conclusion.

Android Ana Maico 2010 starts out lighthearted and fun, but as the characters develop, so does the sophistication of the series, eventually exploring such themes as the impersonality of true perfection and taking a shot at the cold world of media corporations. Although more serious-minded anime fans may reject it at first, it is ultimately a quite rewarding view.